The UJA in the SC area has made their moves to act responsibly towards spring creek and its tribs in the past, but something doesn't add up with their arguments. I am suspicious of the last part of the story

Can anyone explain what exactly UAJA is being asked to do that is different from their current projects? After reading the article it is not clear to me.

Slab Cabin has been my favorite stream during my last 3 years at PSU. Everywhere I've fished it I have found a thriving brown trout population and wild rainbows that are becoming more and more common. Maybe not Class A for brown trout EVERYWHERE, but well above in some sections and below in others. But why does that matter? The HQ-CWF always applies to a whole stream, right?

And what's with all the talk about it drying up some years? A few times I've seen it low and barely flowing in certain areas, but not dry. And there were always trout in that low water. Maybe some upper sections dry up every few years, but the size of some of the fish there suggests otherwise.

There are sections that go dry along Branch road. HOWEVER, it goes dry because it sinks into the ground and reappears-at least that's common thought. the flow is quite good from pine grove mtn until a little ways downstream of where roaring run enters. There area where development would occur is where flow is good. Further, I believe the areas UAJA could potentially withdraw water is upstream where it dries. - if water withdraw is the real issue with them.As I alluded to above, the UAJA has been as friendly as possible to the Spring creek watershed in the past. They have tried to employ re-use as much as possible. Even if it is true HQCW designation would impair their ability to improve slab cabin further, blocking HQCW would be cheered by developers and ferguson twp (who'd love to rezone that farmland to high-tax residential.).To be HQCW, you need class A designation if I am correct.

Thanks for the extra info guys. I was looking at the Ch 93 stuff for a project the other night and noticed different sections of the same stream can have different designations, so I was wrong about that. Also noticed some Class A streams that are not HQ-CWF.

Chaz wrote:If a stream is Class Ait is automatically bumped to HQCWF per DEP rules. The Class Designation of PFBC is separate from the DEP, but they are tied together by antidegration rules.

This is not a slam dunk Chaz...unless it is submitted. The F&BC as any other agency or municipality or private citizen can submit the request to the Environmental Quality Board (EQB), A faction of the DEP for an upgrade or downgrade in status. The evidence must be compelling. It just so happens that if a stream demonstrates a population of naturally reproducing trout and is submitted it can bump a stream from WWF (Warm Water Fishes) or TSF (Trout Stocked Fishes) to CWF (Cold Water Fishes). Also, and should it be submitted, If the Biomass is of a great enough density it could go to High Quality- Cold Water Fishes (HQ-CWF). But it has to be submitted first otherwise how would the EQB be able to rule on it? Afterall, they are not dialed into the survey equipment.

It has in the past been realized that certain stream sections surveyed and recognized to have wild trout or even Class A pops were not upgraded because they were not submitted.

I worked on a lower susquehanna Rivers Conservation Plan and wild reviewing these streams and doing windshield surveys of their level of forested terrain and erosion spots noticed at least three that were recommended to be upgraded...Although I believe no one ever followed through with it. So they are still WWF's.

Posted on: 2013/10/17 17:59

_________________Don't hit me with them negative waves so early in the morning. Think the bridge will be there and it will be there. It's a mother, beautiful bridge, and it's gonna be there. Ok?

My only comment is; It's time we stopped dumping treated human waste into our streams, it's not clean, they won't take the next step in making it clean and it's alomst always warmer and changes the biomass as to the macro-invertabrates.

Posted on: 2013/11/8 17:24

_________________
George Orwell warned, "The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it."